Africa’s success story of national building

The international community and African countries in particular have pertinent lessons to learn from Rwanda’s success story. President Paul Kagame and his RPF-Inkotanyi party found Rwanda in a state the world though was beyond repair. However, only 24 year down the road researchers, politicians, academicians, the business community alike from all over the world stream into the new Rwanda to draw lessons on reconciliation, peace-building, good governance, human rights and freedoms, socioeconomic development, women emancipation among others.

President Kagame the founder of the new Rwanda inherited a failed state that had been torn into pieces by ethnic violence 24 years ago and against all odds the country now boasts of an average of 8 per cent economic growth, 64 per cent women’s representation [a world record], and seamless unity and coherence of the Rwandan people.

Rwanda in 1994 was a ragged small nation that had hosted bloodshed that culminated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claiming over one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. All water bodies had been filled with dead bodies others had been dumped into pit latrines and trenches. Forests became much safer places than churches which had turned into slaughter houses. The country saw darkness at midday and the hunted innocent Tutsi saw every second and minute as a miracle during the 100 days of the infamous genocide.

“We wish to inform you that tomorrow we shall be killed [redacted], a message to family friendsreads at the peak of the genocide in April.

Yelling, screaming and groaning characterized the small east and central African country when the entire world was simply watching including those that relentlessly wish to lecture Rwandan leader who stopped the genocide on issues of fundamental human rights they learn through rot learning from textbooks with no experience of how human rights are defended and promoted.

Not even a baby in the uterus deserved the right to grow. Expectant Tutsi mothers had their wombs ripped up to end the life of the zygote suspected to be a Tutsi blood. Religious leaders who preach Jesus Christ’s Gospel of peace, love, unity and justice every Sunday clad in “sacred” cassocks and white collars with inhumane hearts clothed in sheep’s skin had a 100-day honey moon with the angels of death that had been anointed and baptized by the French blood suckers. Shame upon them! And, it is needless to mention that their complicity role in 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi greatly made the genocide implementation plan successful.

As we gather this year to remember the heinous days when Rwandans ended lives of fellow Rwandans at the wish and craft of the French political shots and generals it is paramount to appreciate that the then inferior but superior RPA in the cause of human rights squarely defeated the so-called superior French forces but more carnivorous, barbaric and murderous [1994] than the wild beasts subscribing to the big five animal family.

Simultaneously, peace-loving people across the world use the commemoration time to pay great tribute to the RPF/RPAwhose rare commitment and sacrifice put the last nail to the genocide saving many lives of genocide survivors. In the same spirit, they pray that the masterminds and implementers of this worst crime against humanity take a leaf from Pope Francis and apologize by bringing to book all genocide fugitives still at large in France and its allies. Pope Francis recently apologized on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church for its documented role in the genocide.

The Rwandan leader, I met for an interview in 2007 is a down-to-earth leader, incorruptible, determined and visionary, with a clear vision of Rwanda’s future who deals with challenges using cross-cutting home-grown solutions.

Justice, reconciliation and progress

Home-grown solutions (fair translations in English in brackets) have played a significantrole in national building and cementing the coherence and unity of Rwandans as a people who share a common history.Gacaca [a traditional justice system], agaciro [human dignity], Umuganda[community works], kwigira[self-reliance] and ubudashyikirwa[exceptional performance] are some of the strategies Rwanda has interwoven in its stance for good governance and never again bloodshed and genocide ideology.

They are seamlesslysandwiched and catalyzed with institutional and people centred developmental reforms and policies.

No wonder, 24 years later, Rwanda’s steadfast transformation into a peaceful, progressive African country which respects the rule of law to the letter including upholding democratic government principles are basis for one of the most competitive economies in Africa year in year out.

Rwanda is the second easiest place to do business according to Global Technology report 2015 and second most competitive in Africa revealed the World Bank report 2017, and boast of an average GDP growth of 8 per cent which translates in the transformation of the lives of the Rwandan people.

On justice, close to two million people suspects of genocide received fair hearing through the Gacaca courts and today Rwandans live as a people united by the common history and destiny.

The government of national unity established the National Commission for the Fightagainst Genocide (CNLG) and the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) to basically promote reconciliation and promote benchmarks for unity and reconciliation.